Trunk



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet I.

. M. L. H. .KEENl TRUNK.

No. 486,254. Patented Nov. 15, 1392.

3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

M. L. H. KEEN.

TRUNK. Y

' Patented Nov. 15, 1892..

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(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

, M. L. H. KEEN.

TRUNK.'

No. 486,254. Patented Nov. 1 5, 1892.

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UNITED STATES VPATENT OEEICE.

MARIA L H. KEEN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

T R U N K SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent 486,254, dated November 15, 1892.

Application led January 26, 1892. SarialNo. 419,298. (No model.)

ters of reference marked thereon, which forma part of this specification.

The object of this invention is to provide a trunk in which access maybe had to the contents of the same in one part or section thereof without moving or disturbing the contents in other parts.

A further object of the invention is to provide simple and efficient means for supporting the trunk at a distance above the floor to afford easier access thereto.

With these and minor objects in View the invention consists in the matters hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view illustrating a trunk embodying my improvements. Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken transversely through the same at the center thereof. Fig. 3 is a bottom plan View, partly in section. Fig. 4 is a vertical longitudinal section 011 the line 4 4 of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a trunk closed and incased in its removable cover, part of said cover being broken away to expose the front of the trunk. Fig. 6 is a bottom plan view of the trunk in its protectingcover. Fig. 7 is a detail section, drawn to a large scale, of one corner of the trunk and its cover.

The trunk frame or body A comprises top and bottom walls B and C, a back wall D, ,end walls E and E', and a front rail F, all permanently framed or connected together to form a rigid structure, and two doors F and F2, each connected at its outer edge to the front edge of one of the end Walls by hinges f in such a manner that when closed their outer surfaces will be flush with or inside of the front edges of the top wall B, front `rail F, and end Walls E E of the frame, as indicated in Figs. 2 and 5. The inner or free edges of the doors meet to form a close joint when closed, the door F being provided at its upper and lower corners with bolts f', de-

signed to engage recesses in the upperwall B and the front rail F of the frame to lock this door securelyv in its closed position, and the door F2 being provided with a suitable lock f2, by means of which it may be locked securely to the door F. The frame so coustructed is fitted interiorly with partitions G to form separate compartments G G2 G3 G4, conveniently arranged and proportioned for any usual or special requirements-as, for instance, in a trunk designed for use by women one compartment G is provided with bonnet or hat posts or hooks g, as illustrated, and another G2 is provided with a vertical series of horizontal grooves g formed in its opposite side walls, to receive a removable shelf or shelves g2,t-hus admittingof snbdividing the space within said compartment to suit different requirements. The remaining compartments G3 and G4 are provided with rigidly-secured drawer-slides g3 to support and guide drawer-shaped trays g4, whereby each tray may be drawn out to afford access to its contents, thus permitting the removal of articles from the bottom of the trunk without removing or disturbing the entire contents thereof. These drawer-slides g3 serve to greatly strengthen the frame A, while adding but slightly to its weight. The trays g4 may be provided with the usual hinged covers g5 to avoid liability of articles within a tray catchv ing against the front rail of a drawer-slide, and thus interfering with lthe withdrawal of said tray, and the trays so provided may be more tightly packed with articles, as the cover will serve to compress the contents of a tray and will be held securely by the drawer-slide aboveit when the tray is slid within the trunkframe A, thus securing all the advantages of a solid horizontal partition above each tray with but a small proportion of its weight and at a less cost.

The bottom Wall C of the trunk-frame is arranged somewhat above the bottom edges of the back wall D', end walls E and E', and front rail F thereof, thus forming a shallow rectangular chambcr or recess H, Within which the supporting-legs H and H2 may be folded and retained when desired. These legs are each pivoted at one end between the lower edges of the back wall D and front rail F of the frame and adjacent to the end Walls E E ICO thereof in any suitable manner, though preferably by a rod h, passing through said legs and through said back Wall D and front rail F. The hinge-rod h thus serves as a tie-rod to prevent spreading or springing of the front and rear parts of the frame, and by rounding the hinged ends of said legs in an arc the radius of which is equal to the distance between the center of said hinge-rod h and the inner surface of the end walls E or E adjacent a close joint is always maintained between said pivoted ends of the legs and the end Walls, preventing the entrance of dirt or dust between them. Brace-rods h and h2 are connected at one end with the bottom C of the frame by staples which pass through eyes formed at the ends of said rods, the free ends of said rods terminating in hooks h3 and h4, Fig. 3, which are adapted to engage eyes or staples h5 and h6, secured at proper points to the inner surfaces of the legs H and H2, thereby serving to brace said legs against inward or outward pressure when they are unfolded to support the trunk, as seen in Fig. l. Staples c and c' are secured to the bottom wall C to receive the hooks h3 and 77.4 of the brace-rods and retain them close against said bottom wall O when the legs H and H2 are folded.

To provide a solid support or abutment against which the legs may rest When folded Within the recess H, as in Fig. 2, and still give room for the bracerods 7?. h2 and their staples, cleats C are secured to the bottom Wall C and Within said recess II, against the surfaces of which the legs H and H2 will fold snugly, thus avoiding the breaking of said legs by inward pressure thereon and giving additional strength to said bottom wall C, as well as bracing the lower edges of the rear and end walls of the frame and the front rail F thereof.

To retain the folding legs H and H2 securely Within the recess H when not in use to support the trunk, latches I I are pivoted in recesses formed to receive them in the back wall D and front rail F near the lower f edges thereof, these latches being provided each with a thin laterally-projecting iin or blade t, adapted to project through a mortise in the wall or rail and enter mortises h? and h", Figs. 1 and 2, formed in the edges of said legs at their free or meeting ends, said fins or blades t' being of such width that each will occupy the mortises k7 and hs, Fig. 3, of both legs at the front and back of the trunk, thus locking the free or meeting ends of the legs securely to each other and to the trunkframe. The trunk so constructed is provided with a canvas or other flexible cover J, having an open rigid bottom frame J adapted to fit against the margin of the trunk-bottom. This frame is of rectangular form and composed of two longi-tudinal straps jj, of iron, arranged parallel with each other and connected at their ends by rivets or otherwise to the ends of similar transverse straps j j.

to overlay the edges of said cover with thin sheet-metal straps or stay-strips 7'3 to avoid liability of the heads of the securing-rivets being pulled through the edges of the cover. The cover is, as shown, constructed with a top flap J2 and a front flap J3, the edges of which are provided with straps 7'4 to engage buckles j, secured to the main part of the cover, by which means the flaps may be secured to inclose the trunk or released to admit of its removal therefrom. The frame J, constituting a part of the cover, is pro vided at its corners with caster-wheels of any approved pattern to facilitate handling the trunk when the cover is in position thereon. The inner edges of the longitudinal and transverse parts j and j of the frame J are arranged flush with the inner edges of the side and end walls of the trunk, thus admitting of unfolding the legs H and H2 to support the trunk without removing the cover J, said cover being provided at the back with a slit or flap to admit of the Withdrawal vof the rear latch I, and as the front lap J2 of the cover is also arranged with a view to permit of the opening of the doors F and F2 and the operation of the front latch I the cover may remain upon the trunk if it is so desired while in use in an apartment, the flap J 2 serving as a curtain to conceal any articles that may be temporarily stored beneath the trunk.

The legs H and H2 consist of flat boards or other suitable material which when folded completely fill the recess H beneath the trunkbottom C, Fig. 6, and present no projections or recesses to be engaged by foreign obj eats-- such as the angles or corners of other trunks, dac-during transportation, thus avoiding breakage of the legs and affording protection to the trunk-bottom C.

I claim as my invention-mh 1. The combination, with a trunk having its bottom wall secured above the lower edges of its end and side Walls, so as to forni a shallow recess in the under surface of its bottom, of folding legs hinged Within said recess ad jacent to the end walls, said legs being of the same Width as said recess and adapted to fill the space between the end and side Walls, and to thereby form a continuous bottom surface for the trunk when the legs are folded, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with a trunk having its bottom wall secured above the lower edges of its side and end Walls, forming a shallow recess, folding legs hinged within said recess adjacent to the end walls, said legs being of the same width as the recess and adapted to fill the same when folded, and brace-rods hinged` IOO IIO

Irs

to the inner surfaces of the legs for holding them extended, said trunk being provided with cleats secured longitudinally to the bottom adjacent to the side Walls and affording supports for the legs when folded, of a central recess to receive said brace-rods, substantially as described.

3. The combination, with a trunk, of a removable flexible cover having attached to its lower edge a rigid open frame adapted to fit against the margins of the bottom of the trunk, substantially as described.

4. The combination, with a trunk, of a removable cover composed of iexible material and having attached to its lower edges a rigid open-bottom frame having upwardly-extending projections to engage the side and end Walls of the trunk, substantially as described.

of two Witnesses.

MARIA L. H. KEEN. Witnesses:

C. CLARENCE PooLE, TAYLOR E. BROWN. 

